Packing device



' May 20, 1930. CAMPBELL 1,759,185

PACKING DEVICE Filed ma 10, 1928 @wummz Patented May. 20, 1930 UNITED STATE LAYARD CAMPBELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

PACKING DEVICE Application filed May 10,

This invention relates to improvements in packing devices for fruit and other small articles.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for conveniently packing small articles such as fruit, olives and the like in bottles, jars or other containers so that the small articles are packed and arranged in snug, compact and neat fashion in the container.

Other objects, desirable features and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a packing device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the packing device, with the small articles shown in dotted lines and with the bottle or container also shown in dotted lines and in a manner to illustrate the operation of the packing device;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a bottle or container with the packing device within the bottle or container, the figure showing in dotted lines the small articles packed in the bottle and also showing in dotted lines the manner of removing the packing device after the bottle or container has been packed and filled with the small articles.

A great deal of difficulty has been experienced in packing small articles such as fruit, olives and the like in bottles, jars, and other 7 containers. This is usually accomplished hand, which is a very tedious process, requiring considerable time to fill the containers with the small articles in a compact and uniform manner. My invention aims to provide a packing device for filling bottles and other containers with small articles such as fruit, olives, cherries and the like in convenient and rapid fashion and so that the small articles are snugly, uniformly and neatly packed 1n the container.

As shown in the drawings, the packing clevice of the present invention in its preferred form comprises a plurality of blades 10 of a substantially straight and rectilinear formation, spaced apart and arranged in substani tial parallelism and in a generally circular 1928. Serial No. 276,522.

manner, the blades being secured at one end to a block 11 or similar element as by screws '12 or other convenient attaching means. A stripper or platform" 13 is disposed normally between the blades and rests upon the block 11 as shown in Figure 2, when the packing device is in the vertical position shown in said figure with the block 11 resting on a table or other horizontal member. The stripper or platform 13 preferably has small projecting corners 14 extending into the spaces formed between the blades 10 and is also preferably in the blades and that it may be moved longitudinally relative to said blades by hand.

In the operation of the packing device, the packer is disposed in the position shown in Figure 2, with the block. 11 resting on a table or other horizontal support and the blades 10 extending vertically therefrom and with the stripper 13 resting by gravity upon the block 11. The olives indicated at 16 in dotted lines, or other small articles to be packed are arranged by the operator between the blades as indicated in Figure 2. The opera tor can conveniently adjust the small articles into snug, compact and uniform disposition between said blades as he has facile access to said articles through the spaces between the blades. The bottle or other container which is to be filled and packed with the small articles is now passed down over the blades of the packing device as indicated in Figure 2 until the bottle rests upon the handles 15 of the stripper. The bottle or other container being packed has an internal diameter or size such that the bottle or container snugly fits over the blades of the packingdevice. These blades'are furthermore very thin so that they do not occupy much space and do not interfere with the compact and snug packing of the bottle or container. The bottle or packing device is now inverted into the position shown in Figure 3 and the packing device is extracted leaving the small articles arranged in a compact, uniform and neat manner in said bottle or container. The extraction of the packing device is obtained by the operator lifting up the block 11 with one hand while holding the stripper stationary on top of the bottle with the other hand, by grasping the handle portions 15 with said other hand. This results in the block 11 and the blades 10 being extracted with one hand while the stripper remains on top of the bottle and is held thereon with he other hand. The blades may thus be removed while the stripper maintains the olives or other small articles in place in the bottle. After the removal of the portion of the packing device having the blades, the stripper is then removed from the top of the bottle, the bottle sealed with a cover and the stripper is again placed back into its original position between the blades 10.

In the specific arrangement shown, the stripper comprises the platform 13, which is made of a flat piece and under which is disposed an elongated cross-piece providing the handles 15, the elongated piece and the platform being attached together as a unit. This specific arrangement is such as to accommodate itself to a bottle such as shown in the drawings having an enlarged internal portion 18 near the top thereof for a stopper. lVhen this bottle is pushed down over the stripper blades as shown in Figure 2, the platform 13 extends into the enlarged internal portion 18, so that the bottle is packed only up to this internal enlarged portion and the packed articles do not interfere with the application of the stopper thereto. Of course it will be understood that this specific construction is not essential and that in the practice of the invention changes in the specific form and structure of the stripper may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims:

1. A device of the character described comprising a stripper having a plurality of annularly disposed recesses formed about its outer edge, a handle secured to said stripper and extending outwardly therefrom at its opposite sides, and a head having a plurality of blades secured thereto adapted to be positioned within said recesses in the stripper and to be movable with respect thereto.

2. A device of the character described comprising a stripper having a plurality of annularly disposed recesses formed about its outer edge, a head having a plurality of blades perpendicularly extended to conform with the annular edge of said stripper, said blades being adapted for disposition within said recesses in the stripper to be moved with respect thereto.

LAYARD CAMPBELL. 

